PhD Students

Focus Area:
Calcification mechanisms and extracellular vesicle formation.

Research Interest:
Working to understand the mechanisms of extracellular vesicles and the key role they play in the development and potential prevention of vascular calcification both in vitro and in vivo.

Fun Fact:
In her free time, Sophie loves to bake!

Education:
BS – Biomedical Engineering (2021, Mississippi State University)

Focus Area:
Cardiac tissue biomechanics and mechanobiology.

Research Interest:
How cellular and tissue level mechanics influence extracellular matrix
components and the progression of aortic valve diseases such as calcific aortic valve
disease (CAVD).

Education:
BS – Biomedical Engineering (2018, Florida International University)

Fun Fact:
Daniel can isolate 10 porcine aortic valves in 10 minutes.

Focus Area:
Peripheral hemodynamics, NIRS imaging and vascular calcification.

Research Interest:
Aasma’s research focuses on development of optical imaging techniques for detecting vascular calcification through peripheral imaging.

Awards:
Fulbright Foreign Student Fellowship (Nepal 2021-2023)

Fun Fact:
She writes poetry.

Education:
MS – Biomedical Engineering (2023, Florida International University, USA)
BE – Biomedical Engineering (2017, Visvesvaraya Technological University, India)

Focus Area:
Using cardiac signals to diagnose conditions that lead to heart failure.

Research Interest:
Valentina’s research interests include developing low-cost, non-invasive diagnostic techniques to decrease the burden of disease and address health disparities. 

Awards:
McNair Graduate Fellowship (Aug 2018 – July 2020)
NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship in Health-Related Research (Aug 2020 – Aug 2023)
2022 Florida Heart Research Foundation “Early Career Stop Heart Disease” Researcher of the Year

Fun Fact:
She once jumped off a 50-foot cliff into the ocean (and she does not recommend it).

Education:
BS – Biomedical Engineering (2018, Florida International University)

Focus Area:
Calcification mechanisms.

Research Interest:
Investigating the fundamental mechanistic differences between homeostatic Osteoblast mineralization and pathological vascular calcification via the release of extracellular vesicles.

Education:
BS – Biology (2021, University of Florida)

Expected Graduation:
Fall 2021

Fun Fact:
Her friends call her KK and she likes to sew and skateboard in her free time!

Focus Area:
Aortic Valve Development and Elastogenesis

Research Interest:
Perony’s project aims to understand the origin of the pigment producing cells in the aortic valve and which cells are responsible for elastin production within the leaflets.

Awards:
2010 – National Council for Science and Technology Development. Undergraduate Scholarship: Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2013 – Scholarship to study abroad at University of Manitoba sponsored by the National Council for Science and Technology Development, Brazil.
2023-2024 – Grant from Florida Heart Research Foundation

Fun Fact:
He always organizes his money with the bills facing the same direction.

Education:
BS – Biological Sciences (2015, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro)
MS – Oncology (2019, Brazilian National Cancer institute)

Focus Area:
Sensor design.

Awards:
PATHS-UP Student Seed Fund (Apr 2019 – Aug 2020)

Research Interest:
He works on the development of a Magnetic particle based sensing platform.

Fun Fact:
On his free time, he loves spending time with his family!

Education:
MS – Biomedical Engineering (2015, California State University, Los Angeles)
BE – Radio and Television Engineering (2010, Nanjing University of Post & Telecommunications)

Focus Area:
Effect of relaxin receptor agonist on vascular calcification.

Research Interest:
Currently, there is no existing treatment to resorb existing plaque in the cardiovascular system. Her project proposes the study of a small molecule relaxin agonist in its ability to reverse vascular calcification. 

Awards:
Transdisciplinary Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences (TBBS) T32 Fellowship (Aug. 2021 – July 2023)

Fun Fact:
She loves to read and collects fountain pens.

Education:
BS – Biomedical Engineering (2021, Florida International University)